


Dream of Underground

by Hattingmad



Category: Alice In Wonderland - Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Related Fandoms
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-11-03 07:04:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10962165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hattingmad/pseuds/Hattingmad
Summary: "So the White Lord truly cares for you? Then he was a fool to bring you here. He's doomed you. This is no place for Upworlders.  Once here, they have a year to complete their task, or they disappear forever. Ah, no, mademoiselle, you can never go home again. By disappear, I mean, you cease to exist. What's the task, then?To secure our affections. To love us. All of us. And we aren't very easy people to love."Rating will go up.





	1. Chapter 1

The rabbit was back. This marked his third attempt that afternoon, and frankly, Alice was getting sick of it.

 

"Go _away."_

_"_ But my love, I have tea and cakes! It's black dragon pearl, your favorite, and the cakes have cream in them. Surely your hate for me can't run so deep that you'd turn down all that?"

 

Alice groaned in frustration.  He was right.  She couldn't turn down black dragon pearl.

 

"Fine, I'll unlock the door. But _only_ to get the tray, understand? Nothing else."

 

Cursing herself mentally for her weakness, she pushed the heavy dresser away from the door and undid the locks, steeling herself to yank the door open. She hefted the heavy metal candlestick by its base, getting in a few practice swings, just in case. To her surprise and dismay, the door pushed inward, seemingly of its own accord, and she was left staring into the seemingly-empty hallway. _Is he throwing his voice now?_ She wondered this with some trepidation, until a squeaky voice from the vicinity of her shins said, "down here, dearest Alice!"

 

"No, no, _no_ ," she said, casting her gaze to the floor. It was as she'd feared.  The rabbit was small, fluffier than anything had a right to be, and adorable, in that talking-stuffed-animal way.  Not at all the tall, very human stalker who had kidnapped her and brought her here in the first place, who she would have been perfectly willing to brain with the candlestick.  Damn him for ferreting out her other weakness: cute things.

 

"If my other form distresses you so, I'll stay in this one," he squeaked happily, setting down the tea tray on a low coffee table in the room.  "Must I go?"  He looked at her with watery eyes and held his little paws up toward her in a beseeching gesture.

 

"Damn it all," Alice swore, dropping her makeshift weapon.  She patted the space next to her on the settee, and sat down, watching the rabbit struggle to clamber up onto the cushion. It felt like animal cruelty, watching him, so she begrudgingly held out a hand to help pull him up.

 

"Alice, my kind, sweet Alice," the rabbit sighed, snuggling in against her side. 

 

"Stop that," she protested. "Boundaries," she added, as the rabbit nudged his way onto her lap.

 

"What?"

 

"Being so unconscionably cute," she complained, appalled to find herself stroking one of his long silky ears.

 

"Well, if my lover insists," the rabbit said, and with a loud 'pop' the bunny on her lap was replaced with a silver-haired, bespectacled young man, grinning cheerfully at her. " _I_ much prefer this way, myself."

 

"Ack! No! Stalker! Bad evil perverted creepy stalker!"  Alice shoved at his chest, instantly regretting her decision to let him in.  But then there was a second 'pop', and the rabbit was back, looking up at her from the floor with a wounded expression on his face.

 

"You think I'm bad?" He asked, nose quivering. Oh, lord, was he about to cry?

 

"No! I mean yes! I mean--oh, I can't be angry at you when you're like this.  Look, I'm sorry, alright? Do you want some tea?"  The rabbit immediately perked up again.

 

"I'd like that."


	2. Chapter 2

 "Weiss?  Sebastian? Where is that blasted rabbit?"  A young man in military dress, somewhat sloppily put together, poked his head into the room.

 "Oh, hello, there he is.  Oops, didn't know I was breaking up a lovers' tryst!" He chuckled at his own observation, and Alice shot up from her seat in a panic, dislodging its other (currently furry) occupant. 

"You have it all wrong! That is the _last_ thing that is going on here! I don't even _like_ him!"  The young man burst into laughter, holding his stomach as though it pained him. 

"Say it isn't so. You've been rejected, Weiss?"  He snickered, looking at the rabbit-turned-man on the floor.

"What is it?" The rabbit--Sebastian, evidently--snapped, obviously irritated by the interruption.

"It's the Hattas again.  They've made it through the gardens this time."  The young man reported this while trying and failing to stifle his grin.

 "And this is my problem _why_? Aren't you the head of security?" 

"Well, yes, but it's your head that will roll if the rose-bushes aren't repaired before His Majesty sees them, and you _are_ in charge of staffing.  Right, White Lord?" 

"Don't call me that. It makes me sick."  The rabbit stood up, adjusting his gloves and straightening his slacks before turning to Alice. 

"Fear not, my sweet.  Simply stay in your room and all will be well." At this, he turned an icy glare onto the young man standing in the doorway. "But if you ever interrupt me again when I'm spending time with my love, Jack, there won't _be_ a trial.  I'll bury you myself." 

"Scary!" Jack the soldier said, grinning.  He didn't look very scared, though, Alice thought. 

And out they both went, leaving her with peace and quiet once more.

* * *

Now would be an excellent time to make her escape.  She didn't know who these Hatters were, or what they were, but she was grateful to them for the distraction. 

If the rabbit--if Weiss, she corrected herself--found her again, she very much doubted she'd have another opportunity to evade his company. 

Alice cautiously opened the door to the room and looked both ways.  No rabbits in sight.  Good.  She stepped out into the hallway, hoping she remembered her way through the maze that was this castle. 

Picking up her pace as she rounded a corner, she smacked right into someone and fell onto the floor. 

"Dee, look! Target practice!" 

"Use your head, Dam. We'll get way more money for her if she's a hostage.  She could be important.  Besides, wasn't the boss just telling you to stop being so trigger-happy?" 

"Well, yeah, but--" 

"No buts." 

"Excuse me," Alice piped up from her position on the floor.  "Did you say hostage? I take it you aren't with the castle?" 

The two identically-dressed girls turned to her at last, wrinkling equally-pretty noses at her. 

"Ew, no.  We're with the Hattas, duh." 

"Haven't you heard of us?" 

"Delilah and Damascus, the Sniper Sisters?" At this pronouncement, they proudly posed with the weapons in question, incongruously large against their delicate frames and frilly frocks. 

"No, sorry." Alice shook her head. "But I'm sort of new here, so please don't take it personally," she added, not wanting to see them deflate.

"Nobody's new here," one of the girls said.  "We don't _get_ visitors." 

"Believe me, it wasn't my idea to come.  Sebastian grabbed me from my yard and dragged me here." 

"What, seriously?"  The girls glanced at each other and chorused in unison, "definitely a hostage!  We're taking you to Boss!"

* * *

And this was how Alice found herself being ushered along a series of corridors and shoved out a (decidedly NOT ground-level) window, only to be caught by a dark-haired man wearing an extremely stupid hat.

  
"Easy there, mademoiselle.  Dee? Dam? How did you get your hands on an Upworlder?"  The man set her down gently and inquired, "that is what you are, correct? From another world?" 

"That seems to be the case, yes," Alice replied faintly, as soon as she recovered from the shock of being _thrown out a window._  

"You smell delightful, by the way. Black Dragon Pearl is one of my favorites, this time of year."  The man bestowed her with a charming smile. 

"Boss, Boss, aren't you proud?" The twins sidled up to him, tugging on his clothes to get his attention. 

"Yes, girls, you did very well to bring her to me. I'll see about a bonus for you this quarter." The twin girls smiled, sharklike, and huddled together, presumably discussing their incoming monetary windfall in hushed tones.

"Oh! Pardon my manners. Allow me to introduce myself."  The man doffed his hat and kissed the back of Alice's hand.  "Caramia Stone, Hatta Famiglia Don, at your service." 

"Famiglia?" Alice repeated, furrowing her brow. "Like the mafia?" 

"Precisely," Caramia agreed. "Does the idea frighten you, little Upworlder?" He raised an eyebrow, gently mocking. 

"Not particularly. Where I come from, the mob are ruthless, sure, but they take care of their own. And... they actually protect and help people sometimes, when the authorities won't." Caramia stared at her at this unexpected statement.

"Interesting. Well, we are here because the King of Hearts--oh, Alaty, did you get it?"  The enormous ginger-haired man rushing up to meet them nodded, grinning, and Caramia smiled in return. 

"Excellent.  Time to wrap up then.  Mademoiselle? Are you coming?" 

"I'm not staying here," Alice said with feeling. "The rabbit might come back!"

Caramia Stone, mafia boss, threw back his head and laughed. Then, he replaced his idiotic hat on his head, winked at her, and began to run.

Shrugging, Alice followed.


End file.
